Fluid tight container



y 5, 1962 M. BERGHGRACHT 3,034,695

FLUID TIGHT CONTAINER Filed Feb. 25, 1960 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 5 INVENTOR MAR/U5 BERGHG/PACHT ATTORNEYS May 15, 1962 M. BERGHGRACHT 3,034,695

FLUID TIGHT CONTAINER Filed Feb. 25, 1960 Fig.4 7

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR MAR/U5 BERGHGRACHT BYmn /m ATTORNEYI$ United States Patent FLUID TIGHT CONTAINER Marius Bergllgracht, 69 Forelstraat, Gent, Belgium Filed Feb. 23, 1960, Ser. No. 22,381 2 Claims. (Cl. 229-22) The present invention relates to fluid type containers, more particularly to fluid'ty-pe containers or packages having a mouth opening and formed from a single piece of foldable sheet material and adapted for liquids and powders.

The container of this invention is formed from a single sheet of material which is folded so that the container has a non-folded substantially flat rectangular base which is capable of supporting the container in an upright position. There are front and back walls extending upwardly from the base and tapering to the top in which there is formed a mouth opening which is adapted to be sealed. There are side panels to be connected to the front and back panels and having marginal edges which are heat sealed to form the fluid tight container. After the container is sealed the mouth opening is also closed by heat sealing and the result is a completely fluid tight package.

This general type of a container has a stable bottom which enables the container to stand in the upright position even though the container is formed from a pliable material. Such pliable material may comprise any flexible simple or complex material in sheet form, such as paper, cardboard or plastic material. These materials are capable of being heat sealed either because of inherent properties or because the material is coated, or otherwise covered, at least on those portions which are to be heat sealed with a thermoplastic adhesive, lacquer or a glue substance whereby two layers of the material can be sealed in a fluid tight manner by heating.

This general type of container has been previously formed so as to have lateral edges or seams in the form of straight lines or interrupted straight lines with folded or scored lines being provided on the side faces so as to form angles therein to impart rigidity to the container and to improve the overall appearance thereof. Such scored lines run from the corners of the base up to the lateral edges of the container at points located at a substantial distance from the mouth opening.

However, use of such known containers has revealed the disadvantage that undesirable and irregular folds and wrinkles are readily formed, particularly in the portion of the container adjacent the opening thereof. The presence of such wrinkles and folds not only detracts from the appearance of the package but also renders the package more susceptible to leaks. Such folds and wrinkles cause cracks in a thermoplastic adhesive coating on the sheet material, which cracks enable the contents of the container to penetrate the adhesive layer and causes the contents, particularly if liquid, to seep through the material from which the package has been formed.

The container disclosed in the present invention avoids the above disadvantages and at the same time has a more pleasing appearance. The improved mechanical resistance of the present container is achieved in several ways. The strength of the container is improved by extending the score lines originating at the corners of the base to the edges of the mouth opening of the container.

In addition, the sides of the container are so constructed that deep pockets are for-med adjacent the base thereof in the side walls of the container. These deepened pockets add considerable strength and rigidity to the container. This pocket construction is achieved by a particular relationship of the several gusset panels and side panels which will be further described in considerable detail.

The present invention also provides a rapid method of determining the several dimensions of a container for constructing said container for a particular capacity. This is achieved by plotting the several dimensions on a graph so that the said dimensions are mutually related. Ac cordingly, when a container of a particular capacity is desired, it is only necessary to refer to the graph and to take the dimensions from the graph which corresponds to that particular capacity.

It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide a novel and improved fluid type container having considerable strength and rigidity and a pleasing appearance.

It is another object of this invention to provide a fluid type container having an improved base construction which results in a substantially strengthened base.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a method of constructing fluid tight containers of varying capacities.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a method of laying out blanks for fluid type containers of various predetermined capacities.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent upon reference to the accompanying description when taken in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein- FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the blank from which the container of this invention is formed by folding and heat sealing the lateral edges thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the container as formed from the blank in FIGURE 1 and looking upwardly at the bottom thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view similar to that of FIGURE 2 but showing the container with the lateral edges being trimmed to form outstanding fins of a uniform width;

. FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the container shown in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a bottom plan view of the container shown in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view of the container shown in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 7 is a graph showing the mutual relationship between the several dimensions of the container as a function of the capacity.

Returning now to the drawings, more particularly to FIGURE .1, there is illustrated a rectangular blank 1 which is cut from a sheet of pliable material of any suitable material and capable of being heat sealed. The dotted lines as shown in FIGURE 1 are scored, folding lines along which the blank will be folded to form the several portions of the container. The folding of the scored lines may be accomplished in any convenient manner such as by hand or by the use of machinery.

The blank comprises a container base 2, which is rectangular but is illustrated in this particular embodiment as square. The base has front, back and side edges 31, 4 and 5, respectively. Similar front and back panels 6 and 7 are connected to the front and back edges, respectively, of the base. These panels are rectangular and form the sloping vertical surfaces of the container. There are side panels 8, which are in the shape of right triangles and having the hypotenuse thereof connected to the longitudinal edges of the front and back panels to form the folding lines 9.

First gusset panels 10 which are triangular in shape have bases thereof connected to the side edges of the base. There are second gusset panels 11, which are in the shape of a right triangle and each has the hypotenuse thereof connected to a side of a gusset panel 10 to form a scored line 12 and the altitude connected to the base of a side panel to form a scored line 13. The altitude of the second gusset panels and the bases of side panels are equal. The bases of the side panels and the second gusset panels form a straight line 14. This line 14 extends from the tip of the first gusset panel to the top of the front and back panels. There are margins 15 connected to the straight line 14 which margins comprise the remainder of the rectangular sheet of material from which the blank is formed.

One face of the blank, as illustrated in FIGURE 1, is coated with a thermoplastic adhesive material. To form the container from the blank the front and back panels are bent upwardly so that the coated surface of the blank forms the interior wall of the container. The side and gusset panels are then bent along their respective fold lines and the opposed margins 15, which are connected upon folding the blank, are heat sealed to form the container as illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. The margins may then be cut to form outstanding fins 16 of a uniform width throughout their entire length as illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings.

After the container is filled, the mouth as indicated at 17 is similarly heat sealed.

In forming the blank into the container opposite margins are sealed together and the second gusset panels are sealed to the lower portions of the side panels. Pockets 18 are formed in the sides of the container by the first and second gusset panels. The bottom edges of the pockets are inclined upwardly at a slight angle from the plane of the base 2. Accordingly, the interior side walls of the container are formed by the gusset panels 10 and by those portions of the side panels which are not covered by the second gusset panels 11.

Proceeding next to FIGURE 7, there is illustrated a graph wherein the several dimensions of the container which determine the capacities thereof are protected'as a function of the capacity and are mutually related to each other. The letters designating the lines on the graph correspond to the dimensions of the container as illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings. The ratio of the several dimensions will vary with respect to each other regardless of the capacity of the container in a manner illustrated in the graph. Accordingly, if it is desired to construct a container having a capacity of 375 cc. a horizontal line is drawn on the graph midway between the /2 and capacity lines. The regular dimensions for a container of this capacity would then be indicated where the horizontal line intersects each of the lines on the graph. Thus the use of this graph enables blank'for various size containers to be laid out with a minimum of effort.

Thus it can be seen that the present invention discloses a fluid type container formed from a single blank but which is rigid and has considerable strength. The blanks are generally cut from a roll of material having a width equal to the Width of the blank. Each cut sheet is then scored and the scored blank is then folded along the scored lines in conventional manner. Blanks for containers of various sizes can be readily laid out merely by using the graph illustrated in FIGURE 7 of the draw-v mgs.

It will also be understood that this invention is susceptible to modification in order to adapt it to different usages and conditions, and, accordingly, it is desired to comprehend such modifications within this invention as may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A blank for folding into a fluid type container having an opening and comprising a rectangular sheet of material having a thermoplastic adhesive coated on a side thereof, said sheet being scored with the score portions comprising a non-folded substantially fiat rectanglar base having front, back and side edges, similar front and back panels extending upwardly from said front and back base edges respectively, two triangular side panels extending laterally from said front panels and two triangular shaped side panels extending laterally from said back panel, said side panels having the shape of a right triangle with the hypotenuse thereof being attached to said front and back panels and having a bottom edge and a side edge, the side edges of opposite side panels being secured to each other to form outstanding fins extending the height of the container so that each pair of secured side panels forms a side of the container, two triangular gusset panels extending upwardly from said base side edges, four additional gusset panels being shaped as right triangles with the hypotenuse thereof connected to an edge of one of said first gusset panels and an edge of said second gusset panel connected to the bottom edge of said side panels, there being margins connected to the base of said side panels and second gusset panels with opposed margins being secured together to form outstanding fins extending through the height of the container so that each pair of secured side panels and first gusset panel connected thereto forms a side of the container, the first and second gusset panels on a side of the container forming downwardly opening pockets.

2. A blank for folding into a fluid tight container as claimed in claim 1 with said blank being folded along the scored lines so that the coated surface is within the container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D.173,718 Cargill Dec. 28, 1954 2,508,962 Moore May 23,1950 2,634,857 Weckesser Apr. 14, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 203,941 Austria June 10, 1960 538,067 Belgium May 31, 1955 

